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Chicago Manual of Style: Personal Communication, Interview, & Email

Personal communication, email, interviews

Personal communications, including email and text messages and direct messages sent through social media, are usually cited in the text or in a note only; they are rarely included in a bibliography.

Personal Communication

Note

Sam Gomez, Facebook message to author, August 1, 2017.

Shorted Note

None

Bibliography

None

Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, blog)

Note

Madeleine Albright (@madeleine), "I was profoundly saddened to learn of the passing of former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. He was a dear friend...," Twitter, August 18, 2018, 8:10 a.m., https://twitter.com/madeleine/status/1030834201258541062

Shortened Note

None

Bibliography 

None 

NOTEWhen a social media post or comment is significant to your paper or is mentioned frequently, it is best to include it in your bibliography.

Personal/Unpublished Interview

Note

Andrew Macmillan (director, Investment Fraud Division), in discussion with the author, Newport, RI, September 1998.

Shortened Note

None

Bibliography

None

Published Interview

Note

McGeorge Bundy, interview by Robert MacNeil, MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour, PBS, February 7, 1990.

Shortened Note

Bundy, interview by Robert MacNeil

Bibliography

Bundy, McGeorge. Interview. By Robert MacNeil. MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour, PBS. February 7, 1990.

Email

Note

John Smith Davis, email message to author, October 1, 1997.

Shortened Note

None

Bibliography

None